Experiences and Perspectives about Health Literacy Interventions among Health Science Students: A Meta-Aggregation Approach

Abstract

The promotion of health literacy among health sciences students through interventions based on qualitative evidence is become increasingly crucial as the evidence-based practice encourages a greater understanding of the experiences and opinions of the students so that the interventions can be improved. The purpose of this research is to synthesize the qualitative and mixed methods pieces of research, from published and unpublished studies between 2010 and 2019, gathered from several databases, such as PubMed, Science Direct, EBSCO, CINAHL, Springer Link, Scopus, ProQuest, Cochrane Library, ThaiJo and ThaiLIS. The method of meta-aggregation was applied to synthesize qualitative findings from both qualitative and mixed methods research papers, with a particular focus on the experiences, opinions, and perspectives of health science students after health literacy intervention. The results of the research synthesis showed several similarities between the selected researches. The research results are divided into the following five main categories: 1) feelings of students after intervention; 2) the students’ perception of health literacy about health outcomes; 3) strategies to enhance health literacy; 4) teaching and learning utilized to enhance health literacy; and 5) points of concern when enhancing the health literacy. It is recommended that for health literacy promotion among health science students, various strategies should be implemented to enhance health literacy. For instance, correct teaching and learning methods could be used, so that any concerns or negative feelings can be dealt with. This research is believed to contribute to behavioral science knowledge and practice by providing a deeper understanding of health science students’ experiences through health literacy promotion. Copyright © Behavioral Science Research Institute